Rollins, USDA give update on bird flu response plan

By: Cami Koons – June 26, 2025 6:16 pm

 Hens in cages (Photo via Getty Images)

A Thursday press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about the department’s response to the highly pathogenic avian influenza, shows the nation imported more than 26 million shell eggs, counted by the dozen, since January, which is more than 10 times the amount imported during the same period in 2024. 

Increasing egg imports, enhancing biosecurity, researching vaccine options and providing financial relief to farmers were all elements of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ plan to combat HPAI and lower the cost of eggs. 

Rollins said her five-pronged plan “has worked,” noting a 64% drop in wholesale egg prices and more than 900 completed biosecurity assessments at poultry farms across the country. 

Rollins announced the $1 billion plan to combat the bird flu in February after three years of the H5N1 strain of the bird flu had eliminated nearly 170 million poultry birds and caused domestic egg prices to skyrocket. 

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From January 2024 to June 2024, the U.S. imported around 2.36 million shell eggs and just over 9.2 million egg products, according to an egg markets report from USDA. 

The USDA release said the U.S. had imported more than 26 million shell eggs, by the dozen, from Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Turkey, and South Korea and imported an additional 14 million egg products, measured in dozen shell-egg equivalents since January 2025. 

A USDA egg market report from May showed the majority, 57% of imported shell eggs came from the nation of Türkiye. 

The USDA press release said the efforts to increase imports have helped to “bolster domestic supply” and said by comparison, domestic egg production in 2024 totaled 109 billion eggs. 

Iowa remains the top egg producing state in the country and to date has lost more than 29 million birds associated with commercial table egg production impacted by HPAI, according to data from the USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. 

Biosecurity improvements 

As part of Rollins’ plan, producers could have free biosecurity assessments at their facilities and receive USDA assistance for biosecurity improvements. 

According to the release from USDA, nearly 1,000 facilities have received the assessments, including 162 facilities in Iowa. 

Producers can email poultry.biosecurity@usda.gov or call 844-820-2234 to request these assessments.

Iowa ranked second on the list of states with the highest number of biosecurity assessments, behind Ohio at 214 assessments and above Pennsylvania at 144, Indiana at 129 and Missouri at 80 assessments. 

Of the assessments completed, 372 have looked at wildlife biosecurity according to APHIS.

Rollins encouraged poultry producers to utilize the free assessments before the fall when wild bird migration will increase the potential for bird flu outbreaks. 

“While we are proud that over 900 biosecurity assessments have been conducted to date, resources remain available, and we are urging poultry farmers of all sizes to get your assessments done today before a potentially challenging fall,” Rollins said in the release. 

USDA has paid farmers more than $70 million to replenish their flocks since February when USDA increased the indemnity values available to producers with layer flocks affected by HPAI.  

The department also announced a grant challenge opportunity in March for research projects to support HPAI prevention, therapeutics, and potential vaccines. The Thursday release said the department received requests for more than $793 million in funding and the awards will be finalized in the fall. 

“When President Trump entered office, the cost of eggs was at a record high, seriously denting consumers’ wallets after years of awful inflation,” Rollins said in her statement. “On my first day as secretary, we got to work to implement a five-pronged strategy to improve biosecurity on the farm and lower egg prices on grocery store shelves. The plan has worked, and families are seeing relief with egg prices driving food deflation in the April Consumer Price Index.” 

5 hours ago

Ginia McFarland

As bird flu has spread across 10 states, causing over 30 million chickens to be euthanized, quail breeders are seeing increased interest in alternatives.

In Arizona, at least four commercial farms in Maricopa County have experienced an outbreak that has decimated their chicken flocks.

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Hickman’s Family Farms, the largest egg company in the Southwest, has said it lost 6 million hens – 95% of its flock. It said in May that it would lay off most of its employees and will need up to two years to replenish the flock.

On three acres just outside of Coolidge in Pinal County, in a shipping container turned bird castle, resides an alternative food advocate.

Breeder Nick Klein started raising quail because his homeowners association at the time did not permit chickens. His decision eventually turned into a business.

“There’s a lot of people that want an alternative to being at the whim of the grocery store supply,” Klein said.

About 100 feet from Klein’s house, large Coturnix hens and roosters live side by side in cages in his makeshift roost. Most of the birds were born on the property. Klein cycles through his egg producers about every eight months, when they are ready for sale.

The flock is smaller than normal, he said, with about 15 birds. The container is rigged with air conditioning and an incubator and usually holds 50 to 100 birds.

In captivity, quail consume less food than chickens. They require higher protein feed, according to Klein, but they are also more efficient at laying eggs. Quail as young as eight weeks old can begin laying eggs; chickens start laying at seven months.

“They lay 300 eggs a year on average, whereas the chicken is 260 to 280 eggs a year,” Klein said. “So it’s kind of like the quail lay an egg every day, but they take weekends off.”

Quail aren’t immune to bird flu but the most virulent strains have hit chicken flocks much harder.

Spring Creek Quail Farms in Ontario, Canada, sells quail eggs across North America.

“We’re just seeing an overall trend in North America of people turning to healthier food options,” said CEO Aaron Oosterhoff.

Oosterhoff said he noticed a trend in people buying quail eggs before the flu outbreaks.

“Obviously, a huge increase in the quail egg demand and what we’ve been able to do in terms of making quail eggs accessible and understandable to people, we see that continuing after this,” Oosterhoff said.

Spring Creek Quail Farm continues to take precautions through sealing entrances from rodents, and washing facilities and equipment.

“We’re trying to protect our birds as best as we can that way,” Oosterhoff said. “We’re very careful to treat our birds extremely well … and we’ve been able to be spared so far.”

Both quail and chicken eggs have about 70 calories, but quail eggs have more cholesterol and B-12 vitamins, according to Lindsay Van Deest with AZ Dietitians, a wellness and nutrition center in Mesa.

“With quail eggs, if people have high LDL cholesterol, if they’re having issues with cardiovascular health, that could be contraindicated because it’s a higher fat food,” she said.

Van Deest said she has seen a shift toward vegan options for egg alternatives in the past couple of years.

“(What) I’ve seen the most of is probably a trend towards an interest in vegan products, just because they tend to be advertised more in social media, ads on grocery stores, their sales are specials versus quail eggs and duck eggs,” Van Deest said.

A dozen quail eggs costs about $5, while duck eggs are about $9 a dozen. The average price of a dozen chicken eggs in Arizona is about $6, according to data from World Population Review.

Vegan egg substitute costs about $7 for 24 ounces.

“I would say that would come down to what you have available to you, what you have the most access to, and personal preference from a cost analysis standpoint,” Van Deest said.

She recommended looking at personal dietary needs and accessibility if switching from chicken eggs.

“When it comes to picking an egg alternative, it is important to take into consideration the vitamin content, mineral content, fat, in addition to branch chain amino acids, which is a kind of amino acid that is essential for building muscle,” Van Deest said.

Quail breeders expect growing demand to continue.

“The pricing of eggs is a serious issue,” Oosterhoff said, “but underlying the demand for eggs is people looking for really good sources of protein that they can trust.”